Poorly Differentiated Naso- and Oropharyngeal Carcinoma: A Retrospective Comparison Between the Results of Radiotherapy Alone and Radiotherapy Plus Adjuvant Methotrexate

Abstract

One hundred and forty-one patients with poorly differentiated naso- and oropharyngeal carcinoma were treated at the Center of Oncology in Krakow 1970–1985. Ninety-eight patients, treated from 1970 to 1980, received radiation therapy alone and forty-three patients, treated from 1981 to 1985, received adjuvant monochemotherapy with methotrexate 60 mg/m² i.v. administered every 6 weeks, starting 6 weeks after completion of radiotherapy. The two groups were comparable in patients' characteristics such as stage of the disease, sex, age, localization and histology. The three-year survival rate in the total group of 141 patients was 46.8%. Important prognostic factors were: stage (UICC 1987). extent of local tumour and nodal involvement. Three-year survival rates according to stage were as follows: stage I, 100%; stage 11, 95%; stage 111, 75% stage IV, 4.4%. There was no significant survival difference between the two groups, and the adjuvant methotrexate therapy did not alter the pattern of failures. The results do not support the hypothesis that adjuvant methotrexate treatment is beneficial in this type of patient.